Basketball betting is one of the most popular types of sports gambling there is today. The sport is a huge favorite anywhere in the world, and fans have the chance to generate even more excitement by backing their basketball knowledge with bets. This article details all the fundamentals of gambling in basketball in the current sports betting landscape.
How Does Basketball Betting Work?
The most popular method of basketball betting is online. The same holds true for practically every other sports betting. With online betting, all a punter has to do is create an account with a sportsbook and place their wagers. This can be done using a computer or handheld depending on what facilities the bookmaker offers. The other method would be physical betting shops, also called high street bookies. For that, a punter has to visit the shop, sign up, deposit the stake, place the bet, take their betting slip and leave. When the event concludes, the punter usually has to visit the shop again to settle their bet with the bookie. Online betting is quickly edging out traditional high street betting, and that’s quite understandable. Online betting is double quick and more convenient. It does not require anyone to leave the comfort of their home to bet, and generally offers more competitive odds. Here’s how to place a basketball wager online.
Online Basketball Betting Procedure
Choose an online sportsbook that offers basketball betting and create an account. Some of the best ones are Pinnacle Sports, Maxbet, Sbobet, CMD368, M8bet, and Sbotop.
Sign in to your account.
Make a deposit. Different bookies offer different deposit methods.
Find the basketball betting section and locate the match or tournament you want.
Under the match or tournament, locate the desired betting outcome to predict.
Specify the stake amount. Some bookmakers will have preset amounts while others allow punters to input any amount they wish.
Review the bet and odds offered.
Click “Place Bet” to confirm the wager.
Basketball Betting Markets
Betting markets are the various outcomes that a punter can predict from a sporting event/match. They are the various ways one can look at a basketball competition, from a gambling perspective. Potential payouts for the outcomes vary depending on prediction difficulty. Here are some of the best basketball markets today:
1. Match Winner Bets
This is the most elementary bet a punter can place on a basketball game. All one needs to do to win it is just pick who wins a basketball game. Correctly predicting the winner wins the bet. Another term for a match winner bet is moneyline bet. The more a team is fancied to win, the lower the odds. The vice versa is also true, of course. Picking the underdog pays more, because it is riskier.
2. Total Points Bets
For this bet, the punter has to predict how many points in total will be scored in a game by both teams. It’s of course very difficult to forecast an exact number of points, so what bookies do is set a line.
Celtics vs Heat
Market
Betting Odds
Over 200.5 pts
1.90
Under 200.5 pts
1.90
A line is a certain number of points. The punter then predicts whether the match total points will be over or under the specified line. In the Celtics vs Heat example above, the line is 200.5 points. 201 points or more means the Over bet wins. 200 points or less would lose the Over bet but win an Under bet.
3. Basketball Prop Bets
Prop bets are wagers on specific things happening (or not happening) in a basketball game. These things are also called “specials” and here are a few examples of them:
A player being able to score a certain number of points.
A player being able to make a certain number of blocks.
Whether or not the game goes to overtime.
Will team X score first?
How many first quarter fouls will there be?
Prop bets like these inject an air of intrigue into basketball betting. They are a great way to cash in on specialist knowledge of the sport, league, teams and/or players.
